The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-09
AwruLs TRAGEDY


t.,t va ~ Eight. III!
De KALI, TEX, Feb. S.-This place was
thrown into iever Of excitement last
evening when man on horseback ca,ne
daahing into town with tho information
that deadly battle had been fought about
four miles northwest OF hoto. -Four malo
members Of family named White were
pit!sd againnt Col. John L. Rcsser, his
son Willie, aged l5, and a hired man
named Mullens, resulting In the killing OF
three Of tho Whites and Colonel Rosser,
and the wonnding Of tho boy. A few
minutcs sutliced 10 impauel q Jury, who,
In company with the officers and Justice
Proctor, loft hurriodly for the scene Of
bloodnhed. A ride OF an hour over a
rough road brought the party to the bat.
tlo ground. The homo Of the White tam.
ily,a log house, consisted Of one room
about twenty feet square, In the centre Of
about fifteen aCr0a OF cleared land.
The party reached the house and were
struck with horror at tho Hcene., On the
ground, in front OF the entrance, was
found the body Of ]. o. White, a bullet
hole through bis breast and one through
his side. In tho center Of the room, In
great pool Of blood, lay Walter White,
dead, shot twice through the neck and
breast. Upon q bed, in half sitting pos
ture, was Lawson White, dead, with gun
cooked md clutched In his hand. a
bullet hole through his head told how he
met hig death. In one corner Of the room
wss found Rosser'a son, a boy OF fift on
years, shot through the side, with Win.
chester lying beside him.
Blood was every where and over overy.
thing, and the weapons that had wrought
so much destruction were gcatteIed pro.
miscuously about. But the ecene OF
death did not end here. A half mile furth-
or on and the home OF RoBaer was reached.
In the center OF the room was the body Of
Rossor, surrounded by his weeping wife
and children. lie had received death
wound through the neck ut the hands OF
old man White, but, being q man Of great
vitality, after having, as he supposed, kill.
ed all tho Whites, he mounted his horse
aud rode TO this scene, dying as lie enter.
ed his own door.
The trouble seems to have had its origin
in law suit. A year ago the Whites
bought a piece Of land Of the Rossers,
and, failing to pay for 1t, the latter
brought. suit to gain possession OF the
property. A writ Of dispossession had
been Issued last week against White, but
had been recalled for some reason and was
not served. This angered Rosssr, and
yesterday, in company With his son and
hired man, all armed, he went to the
house OF the Whites to .iorcibly eject
them. The elder White invited the party
into the house. Rosser and his son enter.
ed and made known the object Of their
visit. A few words wero passed and tho
firing began. Old man White staggered
from the house and iell dead in the yard,
the elder Rosser emptying his revolver at
him. The boy was inside, and his version
OF it is this: The elder White shot him
and his father, and he shot old man White
once, and then turned tho Winchester
upon the White boys to keep them from
shooting his father. About fifteen ehots
were fred and with deadly effect, killing
four Of the participants and wounding the
boy. fi5f.. t.,4-..-.4
The hired man, Mullens, has rot yet
been found, and it ia not known what part
he took in the awful tragedy.